


Caring for Cats

by amyezekiel



Category: Enchanted Forest Chronicles - Patricia Wrede
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:48:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27945560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amyezekiel/pseuds/amyezekiel
Summary: Ever wondered where Morwen got all those cats?
Comments: 10
Kudos: 33
Collections: Yuletide 2020





	Caring for Cats

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wendymarlowe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wendymarlowe/gifts).



“Kazul!” Morwen shouted from the kitchen, “Where are you?”

“Library!” came the reply.

Clutching the letter that had just arrived in her hand, Morwen hurried to the library.

When she got there, she said, “The King has responded to my application! I have been granted the lease of an acre of land in the Enchanted Forest! I’ll be able to have everything exactly as I want it! I’ll have plenty of time to do magic! I’ll be down the road from you! Why, maybe I’ll get a _cat_!”

Kazul was bemused at the excitement from her normally stoic friend, “This is great news and I’m happy it has worked out so well. I’d love to see the site if you have time now?”

Dragon and witch headed out, walking through the Caves of Fire and Night and eventually they came out into the forest proper. The forest itself was beautiful: towering trees, with ferns and late blooming flowers growing underneath. Vines curling through it all. Birdsong filled the air as they walked.

“Thank you for putting me up for all these months, Kazul. Being local made dealing with Crown Estates easier. And you know, my door will always be open to you once the house is built.”

“I enjoy your company and so it is no hardship. I will definitely be visiting.”

They followed the path through the forest and it eventually turned into a road. Morwen consulted her letter and the enclosed map and at last she stopped near a shallow stream. There were trees all around including some fruit trees: lemon, apple, pear, plum and fig all laden with fruit in the autumn sun.

Morwen took a deep, self-satisfied breath and exhaled again.

“This is it. My home. I’m going to have a house of course; I’ve been working on the enchantment theories for months and I am confident that I will be able to make it do exactly what I need. There will be a garden: food, flowers and a host of ingredients for my spells.

“I need a wood cutter to clear the land, I’ve got the name of a good carpenter and a glazier, but that will come in time. But really, I need an architect first!”

Kazul made appropriate noises and asked more questions as they looked over Morwen’s patch of earth.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Over the next few months Morwen spent a lot of time meeting with architects, carpenters, plumbers, glaziers, painters and landscapers. She was back and forth between Kazul’s cave and her plot of land constantly, but after six months, it came together.

While the house was being built, Morwen set to work enchanting her door. It was a simple idea: a door that could act as an entrance/exit and also lead to all the other rooms and the closets. If ever she needed more space, she could add it via the door without having to consult any more tradespeople. All the user would need was a solid intention. It also needed to be flexible enough to allow visitors of all sizes – notably a dragon - to enter without difficulty. It took a few months and required calling in a favour or two, but ultimately, the door did what she needed.

The house was charming: painted grey with a large front porch and topped with a red tiled roof. There was a mundane front door and her wonderful enchanted door at the back. Two windows on each side of the house meant it was bright and homely.

Finally, moving in day arrived. Kazul and a few other dragons kindly assisted Morwen with moving her belongings and furniture, her books and magical supplies and the precious seedlings she’d started in the spring. A dragon-sized cake and gallons of tea were their thank you.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Morwen was working in her garden late one morning a month or so after moving in when she heard a burst of bird calls and flapping of wings and a dozen birds took flight from a nearby copse of trees. There was a silence then, but an uneasy one.

She decided to investigate and taking her trowel in hand, she headed toward the trees. She couldn’t hear anything, but she could see that some sort of mischief had happened. Leaves, broken twigs and sticks littered the ground under the trees and there were signs of digging near the trunk.

“Hello? Is anyone here?” she called into the silence.

There came some meows, mrows and chirrups from some shrubbery near the tree. Morwen looked toward the voices and tried to see the speakers in the dappled sunshine. She finally made out a pair of cats lurking under a fern and watching her carefully.

“Hello there, it seems you’ve upset the local wildlife and lost your lunch. Would you like to join me later on?”

They just stared, so Morwen nodded, said she’d see them at the house for lunch. She made her way back to the cottage and continued with her gardening. It really was coming along nicely now that the beds were properly prepared and half of them planted already.

She made some fish for lunch; purchased from the market the day before and roasted over the fire. The market had also provided some additional herbs that were now safely in the garden and flavouring her fish. She put one on a plate for herself with some boiled new potatoes and she flaked the second fish onto two small plates with one mashed up potato for them to share.

She stepped outside, looked to the trees and not seeing the cats, walked further into the garden and set the plate down.

“Fish and potato if either of you fancy a bite,” she called and walked back into the house without looking back. She finished her lunch and tidied up, then spent a fruitful hour in the library organising some of her books. It is amazing how many books can accumulate in the course of study and travel.

She checked the garden then and saw the two plates were licked clean. Satisfied, she tidied them up too.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

This dance continued for two more days. Finally, on the third day, when she came out with some food for the cats, they were waiting expectantly.

“Ah, good afternoon. What a pleasure to see you both properly.”

One of the cats was much larger than the other; they were grey coated and had a crooked tail and raggedy ear. The smaller one was a beautiful brown seal cat and they were the more talkative.

“Mrow,” the larger cat said.

“Hello! I like fish. Do you have any?” the seal cat said and twitched their tail.

It is common knowledge that once a cat and a witch have bonded as witch and familiar, language barriers are removed. The cat is then able to help the witch perform magic, assist with research and investigations and provide company. It appeared that the smaller cat had decided that Morwen would do nicely.

“Hello to you too. I’m afraid we’re having chicken today, but I’ll try and get another fish for tomorrow.” So saying she set the two dishes she’d been carrying on the grass before them.

They fell on the food and she watched while they ate. In short minutes they were finished.

“I’m Morwen. What’s your name, please?”

“I’m Fiddlesticks and this is Trouble. You can tell he is trouble because of his tail.” The other cat hissed softly at this.

Fiddlesticks went and rubbed a face affectionately against Morwen’s leg and said, “Is there any more chicken?”

Morwen stroked a finger between his ears and said no, that was all for today. They trotted back to the trees contented.

The next day, Morwen brought her lunch outside too and the three ate together. After lunch, Trouble mumbled a gruff, “thanks” and the two cats retreated again. Gradually over the following week as trust and affection grew, conversation did too and Fiddlesticks and Trouble made themselves at home with her.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The days were just starting to cool off from the high summer temperatures when a travelling saleswoman making her rounds came to Morwen’s cottage.

Her wagon was sizable and drawn by two large Shire horses. She knocked on Morwen’s door and invited her to come and browse. There was fabric, wool spun into yarn, cooking supplies, some long-life food supplies, cleaning products and a few tools too.

Morwen spent some time selecting some nice heavy fabric to create winter curtains for the windows, some flour and honey, a nice bucket and scrub brush and a crepe pan.

While payment was being made, Morwen’s eyes caught a basket with two small kittens inside. One was cream and silver and they were curled around a ginger one.

“They’re lovely,” she commented and the saleswoman’s eye lit up.

“Are you in the market for cats? Seeing as you’re a witch and all, they might come in handy. The ginger one is Jasmine and the other is Jasper Darlington Higgins IV. They were offered in trade a few weeks back. They’re sweet enough.”

“Let me just check with the others, one moment.”

Morwen went back into the house and called for Trouble and Fiddlesticks. They trotted up and Morwen explained about the kittens. They agreed to go and meet them at least.

When the three of them returned to the wagon, the woman had already lifted the basket down to the ground and seemed to think the sale was a done deal.

Fiddlesticks nosed the kittens experimentally and they mewed in response. Trouble looked in the basket, snorted and walked away. He clearly had no opinion on the matter. Morwen stroked the ginger kitten and asked Fiddlesticks what he though.

The wagon woman started when the cat seemed to reply, she knew that witches and familiars could converse, but seeing and hearing it was an altogether different experience.

After some moments of discussion Morwen agreed to take Jasmine and Jasper.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

That first autumn the apple harvest was excellent, so Morwen decided to try making apple cider. Harvesting the fruit was a group activity: the cats helpfully climbed the trees to find the best apples so Morwen could go get them.

Trouble was sitting at the bottom of the ladder when Morwen descended again.

“Everything okay Trouble?” asked Morwen.

“I thought you should know, there’s a bag hanging from one of the trees ahead and it is moving and making very upsetting sounds.”

“That sounds bad, lead the way.” Trouble walked swiftly off with Morwen close behind.

A short walk later and Morwen could see an old flour sack tied off and hanging from a one of the apple trees. It was moving and Fiddlesticks, Jasper and Jasmine were watching it intently.

When Morwen was close enough she could hear meowing coming from bag. She felt her anger spark and she took her pruning shears from a pocket and very gently, very carefully cut a small hole in the side of the sack.

Inside, she could see two cats. They were adults and had clearly been left to die. She spoke soothingly and asked the others to lend their reassurances to hers. When the bag was open, the two cats tumbled out but they were too weak to run away.

“Everyone, please watch over these two I’m going to get some supplies from the house.” The cats approached with caution and presented themselves for the newcomers to sniff as Morwen hurried away. In the house, she fetched a water dish, a stoppered glass bottle of water, some chicken she’d planned for her own lunch and a blanket; all of which she put into a large basket.

When she returned to the orchard, Jasper and Jasmine were cuddled around the two new cats and talking gently. Morwen placed the dish on the ground and filled it with water. She pushed it close to the cats and Fiddlesticks helped reassure them as they drank.

“They say that they were living with an old woman who became ill. Her daughter moved in to care for her and she refused to care for more than her mother. She promised they’d be given a new home and be taken care of, but they ended up here instead.”

“Oh, that’s awful. Here, I’ve got some chicken, eat carefully; I don’t want you to get sick.” Morwen set a little chicken in front of each cat.

As they ate, Morwen saw that the cats were both a little thin, but otherwise seemed okay. One was calico and the other tortoiseshell. They ate the chicken and Morwen put a little more down then insisted they have more water.

Trouble had disappeared at this point, but Morwen asked the others how they’d feel about some more housemates? They had no issues, so the two cats were placed gently in the basket atop the blanket. Stroking the calico between the ears Morwen asked for their names.

“Scorn likes being pet like that. The other is Aunt Ophelia.”

The party made their way back home and after Morwen was certain Scorn and Aunt Ophelia were settled, she headed back out to finish her apple picking.

Preparing the fruit was a job, but eventually the cider was laid up and she was very pleased with the results. There was some nice plum jam and preserved lemons too.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Winter settled across the Enchanted Forest and Morwen delighted in the snow, her cosy and warm cottage and her six cats. They provided excellent company and were very helpful with spells and chores alike.

She got her library organised and she loved having access to all her books and supplies. She had Kazul over often for hot cider and chats. The cats loved to sleep on Kazul, the dragon’s internal fires were warm. They spoke of magic, history, philosophy and future plans with the ease of old friends.

One such winter’s day when Kazul was explaining about the latest talks with the Society of Wizards – they were trying to negotiate use of the Caves of Fire and Night – there came a knock at the door.

Morwen opened the door to a grumpy looking man wearing a very pompous top hat.

“Good day, madam, my name is Georges. Could I ask, do you have a large, grey tomcat with a ragged ear?”

“Yes, I do; that’s Trouble. Has something happened?”

“You could say that yes. It seems that my Lilybeth attracted his attentions in the autumn and we do not wish to keep her offspring and wondered if you would care to have them?”

He proffered a basket with a few rags lining the bottom, nestled amongst them were two kittens climbing over each other and meowing. One was a long-haired grey tabby and the other white with grey stripes.

Fiddlesticks burst out laughing and said, “You old dog you!”

Trouble could only look shocked.

Morwen looked at the kittens and to Trouble, “Well. This is a surprise.”

She looked to the other cats, shrugged and said, “two more won’t make a big difference, they’re very welcome here.”

The man set the basket on the floor and the two cats scrambled out and took in their new surroundings.

“I’ll take my leave now, thank you and good day,” he turned and left without a backwards glance.

Kazul laughed, “that’s how many now? Seven?”

“No, eight.” Morwen couldn’t help herself, she laughed too, “Well done Trouble, your name is apt!”

“Any ideas on what we should call them?” Morwen asked the room at large.

Fiddlesticks was nosing the new kittens and one of them swiped at his nose, “Heaven’s to Murgatroyd!” he yelped and leapt back.

“That’ll do for that one then. Anyone else?”

“Only Chaos can result from Trouble,” commented Kazul drily.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Spring came and with it, much runoff from the Mountains of Morning. The stream by Morwen’s house was temporarily a swift brown river.

One morning Jasper and Jasmine were outside chasing mice and generally being menaces to the local wildlife when they heard a loud thump and a startled cry.

They followed the sound and came upon a cart that, until it lost a wheel, had been pulled by a donkey wearing a straw hat. The bank next to the river had become so slick with mud that the wheel had lost its pin and fallen off.

They watched a spell as the driver hopped off and attempted to find the pin in the mud.

The driver gave up and looked around and, spying Morwen’s cottage in the distance, he headed over.

Morwen was working in her garden, transferring seedlings to the earth when he arrived.

“Good morning ma’am, I’m sorry to trouble you, but I’m having some trouble with my cart wheel. Do you happen to have a whittling knife I could borrow to make a new pin?”

“Oh, that’s hard. I do, let me just fetch it.” She walked towards the house and asked over one shoulder, “Are you on your own?”

“Yes, just on my way to the spring fair. I have some shows I’m competing in.”

Morwen nodded and went into the house. She came out a few moments later with the knife.

“Can I help with anything else? If you’re on your own, you might need help lifting the cart into position.”

“That’s mighty kind of you and I expect you’re right. I’ll just get this pin carved and let you know when I need you.”

“Fair enough. I’ll be here.” So saying, Morwen returned to her plants.

The driver went to the trees and found a suitably sized stick and go to work. 20 minutes later the job was done and he went to collect Morwen.

The two of them got to the cart and Morwen suggested emptying it first. He agreed and unharnessed the donkey then they set to unloading.

It turned out, the shows were cat shows and he had a fine collection of seven cats to enter - each more beautiful than the last. They were content enough in their covered baskets and they were easy enough to move.

Between the two of them, the cart was raised, the wheel repositioned and the pin slotted home. Cart restored, they loaded it up again and Morwen suggested they all stay for some lunch.

The driver accepted. Lunch was a wonderful affair: cider, fresh bread with cheese and ham. There were several fish for all the cats, including the seven the driver had.

“I cannot thank you enough for all your help, Morwen.” Over the course of lunch introductions had been made and stories exchanged.

“I’m sure you would have done the same in my position, I was glad to be able to help.”

“I must insist that you take one of my cats as thanks.”

Morwen laughed, “I couldn’t possibly! I already have eight cats.”

“But look how well Miss Eliza Tudor is getting on with your gang! She’s made fast friends; it would be cruel to break them up.”

Morwen looked where he gestured and had to agree. The fluffy white show cat with bright blue eyes was playing happily with Jasmine and Murgatroyd. There was a complicated game with a bit of yarn and cunning use of shadows happening.

“I’ll grant you that they look happy. But she’s a show cat, my cats work and help around the house.”

Fiddlesticks was eavesdropping and at this point he commented, “All work and no play makes something something,” and he yawned.

Aunt Ophelia chimed in too, “We could teach her anything she needed to know.”

Morwen sighed. The driver hadn’t heard the other sides of the conversation, but gathered that the idea was gaining support.

“Please, I insist, your help was invaluable.”

“Very well, we accept and thank you. She really is lovely and the others seem to enjoy her company.”

Bargain struck, the driver collected his six remaining cats and restored them to their baskets then the cart and they resumed their journey to the spring fair.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Summer came again to the Enchanted Forest and Morwen finally got to do the last bit of decorating she’d been planning. Balancing carefully on a ladder, she had a small pot of black paint and another of gold. Above the door in large block letters she wrote, “NONE OF THIS NONSENSE, PLEASE.”

THE END


End file.
